During the 1980s,
the Johnson Mountain Boys were contemporary masters of traditional bluegrass music who remained faithful to the old styles while keeping the songs fresh and original. The band was founded in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., by vocalist/banjoist/guitarist
Dudley Connell, banjoist
Richie Underwood, mandolinist
David McLaughlin, fiddler
Eddie Stubbs, and
Larry Robbins on bass. The personnel changed over the years, but the group's sound remained consistent. The Johnson Mountain Boys made their recording debut with a single in late 1978; an EP soon followed and helped build a loyal audience in the D.C. area. They became festival favorites after the release of their self-titled debut. Their second album, Walls of Time, came out in 1982 and featured
Connell,
McLaughlin,
Stubbs, and vocalist/banjoist
Tom Adams. The same lineup recorded four more albums for Rounder during the early '80s. In 1986
Robbins departed and was replaced by
Marshall Wilborn;
Underwood left soon after, to be officially replaced by the mandolinist
Adams. In 1988,
the Johnson Mountain Boys announced that they planned to retire after a farewell concert in Lucketts, VA. Two years later,
the Boys reunited briefly to play two festivals. But the reunions were so successful that the band basically reconstituted itself. The
Blue Diamond LP appeared in 1993, followed by a live recording. By 1997's
Working Close,
Underwood had returned to the fold. ~ Johnny Loftus